Singapore, IBM partner on defence quantum computing

An IBM quantum computing mixing chamber in the company's Thomas J Watson Research Center. (IBM)

The Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has partnered with IBM to advance quantum computing and assess its potential military applications.

MINDEF announced on 21 July that its Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) will collaborate with IBM to evaluate the use of quantum computing for complex mission planning, including logistics optimisation.

“Mission planning often requires balancing numerous operational constraints, resources and timelines, and quantum optimisation could eventually help solve such complex planning problems more efficiently than conventional approaches,” MINDEF said.

As part of the collaboration, DIS and DSTA engineers will receive cloud-based access to IBM's quantum computing resources and work alongside IBM specialists to build in-house expertise, MINDEF added.

The partnership forms part of MINDEF's broader efforts to advance and integrate quantum technologies.

In March 2025, MINDEF and Singapore's National Quantum Office launched the Quantum Sensing Centre (QSC) to facilitate research and development (R&D) and integration of quantum technologies for position, navigation and timing (PNT), remote sensing (RS) and biomedical sensing and imaging (BSI) applications.

The state-owned DSO National Laboratories is leading implementation of the initiative. According to QSC, its current R&D projects are focused on cold atom sensors, quantum materials, hot vapour sensors, superconducting sensors, and quantum photonics.

For more, please see: Computing revolution: Defence industry looks to quantum future